Lakewood council hears EZ Fiber franchise pitch; rollout timeline, underground work and tenant notices remain to be finalized

Lakewood City Council members on Jan. 21 heard a study-session presentation from EZ Fiber on a proposed franchise agreement that would bring high-speed fiber-optic service to the city.

The company said it plans a multi‑phase build targeting roughly 26,500 potential connections to single‑family and multifamily homes and to construct in multiple geographic phases so no single neighborhood is overwhelmed. Garner Duncan, vice president of government affairs for EZ Fiber, introduced the company and its local team before council questions.

The presentation and council discussion centered on where and how the company will build, how residents will be notified and how the work will affect public infrastructure. City staff described the franchise as a standard telecommunications franchise and said it incorporates the city’s existing rules, including the engineering standards manual and a five‑year moratorium the manual establishes on pavement cuts in recently completed street projects.

Why it matters: If the council approves the franchise, EZ Fiber’s build will change how many Lakewood residents access broadband and could increase choice and speeds for customers now served by a limited set of providers.

EZ Fiber representatives described the customer experience and construction process and answered council questions. Eddie Abreu, EZ Fiber’s vice president and general manager for the Pacific Northwest market, said the company will offer symmetrical speeds “up to 8 gigs” and promised long‑term pricing guarantees. “It’s faster. It’s more reliable. It’s price guaranteed for life. No hidden fees,” Abreu said.

On construction methods and impacts, company engineers and city staff said the work will be largely underground and use nondestructive locating tools. City staff noted the franchise and city standards anticipate use of ground‑penetrating radar and horizontal boring to avoid unnecessary pavement cuts. EZ Fiber’s representatives reiterated that “we are focused on underground … 99 and a half percent underground,” and described horizontal drilling and targeted street crossings where daylighting may still be required.

Several council members pressed for specifics the company had not yet delivered. Council member Bell and Council member Laura Sella asked for a detailed rollout map and schedule showing which neighborhoods will be in each phase and who will be served first; easyFiber representatives said those details had not been finalized and would be developed with city permitting and public‑works staff. Council member Brandstetter pushed for clarity about notifying both property owners and residents in rental properties; an EZ Fiber representative answered that the company’s external communications target current occupants first, while wiring multifamily buildings requires separate agreements with property owners.

EZ Fiber gave additional implementation details: multiple advance construction postcards, door hangers placed before and on the day of work, and lollipop signs along work corridors; the company also said it will translate material into Spanish where needed. Company personnel said they aim to reach agreements with apartment and mobile‑home park owners before entering private property and that they would not charge property owners to wire individual units.

The company offered a rough local investment estimate. EZ Fiber’s representatives estimated a capital plan for Lakewood in the low tens of millions of dollars; in the meeting one company speaker estimated roughly $35.5 million for buildout in Lakewood (estimate provided by the company and not verified by the city).

What happens next: City staff told council the franchise agreement is on track to return to the council for authorization at the next regular meeting. No formal council decision was made on Jan. 21; the discussion was advisory and focused on outstanding implementation details the council wants clarified before authorization.

Council members and staff requested several follow‑ups before a decision: a detailed phase map and timeline, a permitting and pavement‑cut map showing streets covered by the city’s five‑year pavement moratorium, and a communications plan showing how tenants as well as property owners will be notified. The company agreed to provide translations for outreach and to work with city staff to refine scheduling and notification approaches.

Ending: Council members said they valued adding a second provider to the city and encouraged staff and EZ Fiber to return with the requested details. The franchise authorization is scheduled for council consideration at the council’s next regular meeting.